- Almost two-thirds (64%) of Brits value their free time more now than before the pandemic.
- 70% feel that they need to get back to making the most of life.
- Almost six in 10 (57%) agree life’s mundane tasks get in the way of what they’d really like to be doing.
New research by AXA UK1, which explores how people can make the most out of life as COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease, reveals almost two-thirds (64%) value their free time more now than before the pandemic.
However, the study of 5,000 adults also shows that life’s more mundane tasks – many of which people didn’t have to do over the past 20 months – are beginning to eat into that free time again. Sitting in traffic during the school run and the weekly food shop were the biggest barriers to free time, with spending money on commuting and cleaning the house more frequently now guests can visit also ranking highly amongst those surveyed.
Nearly half (48%) of respondents admitted to making changes to their lives to avoid losing the improved work-life balance achieved over the past 20 months, while 22% revealed they have made major life changes such as moving house, reducing their working hours or even taking early retirement since the start of the pandemic.
More than a quarter of Brits said they spend up to four hours a week doing inconvenient tasks such as filling up the car with fuel, managing finances and having to find parking spaces. More than half (57%) agree these mundane tasks get in the way of what they would really like to be doing.
The study also reveals that 49% are dreading the constraints of pre-pandemic ‘normality’ returning to their lives, while a third (33%) have already found themselves reverting to their ‘old’ pre-COVID lifestyle in recent months. This has resulted in a mindset shift, with seven in 10 (70%) saying they need to get back to making the most of life.
AXA UK is committed to making life easier for customers through easy to access and flexible insurance policies, while innovative technological solutions such as video claiming for home insurance (which can be done in under 15 minutes), not only gives policyholders peace of mind, but gives them valuable time back. This commitment is expressed in the insurer’s ‘Get Back to the Good Stuff’ campaign, which aims to reassure customers that AXA can help them get on with life when something happens to them.
“ Most people’s lives fundamentally changed over the past 20 months and with tasks such as commuting and meeting face to face put on hold, many used this period to spend more time with loved-ones or to try something new.
“With the return of some pre-COVID normality, our research shows that life’s more mundane tasks are again getting in the way of people making the most out of life and almost half are dreading the return of pre-pandemic constraints. However, it’s good to see a shift in mindset with the majority saying they value their free time more now than before the pandemic and many people are making changes to their lives to ensure the improved work-life balance remains.
“This research supports our ‘Get Back to the Good Stuff’ campaign which aims to show how insurance protects what matters to people and helps them get back to what they really want to be doing in life”
Over a quarter of the UK (26%) are now choosing to work from home more frequently to avoid commuting and to spend more time with their families.
The research also revealed that half of respondents said they live for their days off, 27% like to utilise their weekends more now than before the pandemic and 42% of Brits want to leave the stresses of everyday life behind and find more time to go away on day trips.
Via a partnership with actress and broadcaster Nadia Sawalha, the Loose Women panellist, AXA is aiming to inspire the UK public to enjoy their free time and make the most out of their lives. Nadia and her family hit the road for a truly British weekend adventure, showing why it is important to treasure time with your loved-ones and ultimately get back to the good stuff in life.
“I’m so pleased to have teamed up with AXA UK to encourage people to get back to the good stuff. In some way or another we’ve all been forced apart from family and friends during the lockdown and it can be hard to reconnect with the things you loved doing. Even those everyday activities like going for a walk or doing the school run can seem like a chore, but as part of this AXA campaign we’re encouraging people and families to get back to enjoying real life again.
“For me that’s getting away with the family for some quality time and doing the fun things that we enjoy together. The good thing is, everyone’s different, so whatever makes you happy go and do it!”
According to the survey, these are the top 10 inconvenient tasks:
- Sitting in traffic
- Taking COVID-19 tests
- Spending more money on everyday things
- Queuing for petrol and filling up the car
- Finding a parking space
- Having less spare time to do household chores
- Commuting
- Having people visit and having to clean the house
- Having to attend social events
- Managing your finances
1Survey conducted for AXA UK by OnePoll among a nationally representative sample of 5,000 UK adults between 17 - 22 September 2021. OnePoll are members of ESOMAR and employ members of the MRS.